Since her captivating debut in 2009, jazz vocalist Sylvia Brooks has displayed a gift for inhabiting different personas, with a subspecialty in film-noir inspired femmes fatale. On this – Signature (Rhombus Records) – her fourth album, she embraces the most challenging role of all, defining herself with a set of beautifully crafted original songs. Her evocative lyrics and emotionally direct delivery imbue the music with hard-won authenticity. Whether looking back with wry affection on her walk-on-the-wild-side youth or lamenting a lost love, Brooks brings bracing honesty and poise to the material.
The Rising Relevance of Jazz In 2026 and Beyond
Given the dominance today of quickly produced digital content and trends set by algorithms, one might be forgiven for assuming that jazz might slowly fade into the background; on the contrary, it is fiercely alive. Not only is jazz surviving, but it is also quietly...
